Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha attractions

Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha offers visitors a living museum of native and exotic plant collections. Attractions include a sensory garden, arid region, Japanese garden, bonsai house, Hide 'n' Seek Children's Trail, lagoon and bamboo grove, tropical display dome and the largest collection of Australian native rainforest trees in the world.

Check out the visitor wayfinding guide for the locations of the attractions.

Lumina Night Walk - coming soon

Find out about the Lumina Night Walk coming to Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha.

Arid Region Plants

In the Arid Region, the dry regions of Central America and Africa are represented by plants that adapt to their harsh environments.

Stem-succulent Euphorbia and Jatropha contrast with juicy-leaved Aloe, Kalanchoe, Lampranthus and similar forms. Together they combine to simulate the rugged beauty of life in a desert landscape.

Photo gallery

View a photo gallery of the Arid Region in Council's Flickr account.

Australian Plant Communities

This 27 hectare area in Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha opened in 1984. It displays native Australian plants, mostly from eastern Australia.

Featuring an artificial lagoon which captures rainwater from the mountain, the area includes tropical and sub-tropical rainforests. There is also an open eucalypt forest, heathland and wetlands typical of naturally forested regions along the east coast of Australia.

The collection includes species that are rare or endangered in their natural habitats. In the Brisbane Botanic Gardens' conservation collection there are more than 40 rare or threatened species.

Photo gallery

View a photo gallery of the Australian Plant Communities in Council's Flickr account.

Bonsai House

Bonsai is the art of growing ornamental, artificially cultivated trees and shrubs in pots. This Japanese and Chinese art form has been popular for centuries, inspired by nature’s own bonsais, shaped and dwarfed by harsh winds and poor growing conditions in their natural habitat. Plants are cultivated using various techniques to produce miniature specimens which mimic the shape and form of full-sized trees found in the wild.

The focus of the collection is on species that can be cultivated in a subtropical climate, with a growing collection of trained native and exotic plants, including figs, conifers, camellias, azaleas and subtropical deciduous species. Some specimens are more than 80 years old.

The collection is maintained by botanic gardens staff and volunteers from the Bonsai Society of Queensland and Bimer Bonsai Club.

Opening hours

The Bonsai House is next to the Japanese Garden. It is open daily between 9am-4pm. All abilities access is available.

Photo gallery

View a photo gallery of the Bonsai House via Council's Flickr account.

History

The original Bonsai House was opened in 1999 with the majority of trees donated from the private collection of the late Len Webber, with some trees dating back to 1941. Len was one of Australia's foremost published authorities on bonsai.

The redesigned Bonsai House was completed and opened in 2022 as part of Brisbane City Council’s commitment to the Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha Master Plan.

The new facility features one of the largest publicly owned bonsai displays in Australia, with a workshop area for training and education, a contemplation platform for viewing the Japanese Garden, and a gallery-style layout showcasing around 80 plants on display.

The building features locally sourced stone as well as recycled and sustainably sourced native timber, including:

Recycled Ironbark timber, used for the display benches and seating, was sourced from the demolition of various old buildings across Brisbane, as well as the demolition of the Trinity Inlet Wharf in Cairns. These materials were supplied by The Big Red Shed.
Recycled Grey Gum for the display wall shelves was sourced from the Brisbane Demolition Shed in Sumner Park.
Reclaimed Darwin Stringybark timber for the screen walls that surround the building were supplied by Branch95, who had reclaimed the material from old northern Queensland mine sites.
Leftover drilling material from the Legacy Way Tunnel was also used as fill for the new Bonsai House.
Brisbane Blue Stone used within the project was quarried from the Mt Coot-tha Quarry.

Brisbane’s Sister City - Kobe

The redevelopment of the Bonsai House also commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the Brisbane-Kobe Sister City Agreement on 16 July 1985.

In 2020, Kobe and Brisbane celebrated 35 years of strong ties through friendship, mutual understanding, and assistance - particularly in times of natural disaster experienced by both cities.

In recognition of the longstanding friendship shared between the two cities, the Kobe City Government and Kobe City Assembly Japan-Australia Association generously donated a Japanese Stone Lantern and two Japanese Bonsai Pots.

A plaque has been erected by Brisbane City Council to mark the occasion and can be viewed by the Shishi-odoshi water fountain.

Fern House

The Fern House has more than 80 different species and varieties of ferns on display. These include ferns that live on rocks, trees and in the water.

Ferns are plants without flowers that range from small and delicate plants to quite large tree ferns. Ferns play a role in the complex balance of nature, providing habitat and food for humans and animals. Indigenous people from many lands recognise the value of ferns for food, medicine, dyes and fibres. These primitive plants are in fossil records from more than 200 million years ago. Destruction of old growth forests has endangered some species.

The Fern House is open 9am-4pm daily.

Photo gallery

View a photo gallery of the Fern House in Council's Flickr account.

National Australia Remembers Freedom Wall

The National Australia Remembers Freedom Wall was built to celebrate 50 years of freedom in the Pacific.

It is a calm refuge and a space for quiet contemplation and reflection on the spirit of freedom. The wall is not a war memorial but a symbol of 50 years of freedom.

There are 16,000 tribute plaques on the walls to remember loved ones or simply an expression of thanks. The wall honours servicemen and women who gave their lives in all wars for this nation. It also honours those involved in bringing freedom to Australia. This includes those who worked on the land, in protected industries and organisations such as the Red Cross.

Gardens enclose the memorial, representing the land, sea and divide.

Photo gallery

View a photo gallery of the National Freedom Wall in Council's Flickr account.

Hide 'n' Seek Children's Trail

Children and parents can explore the Hide 'n' Seek Children's Trail set in the heart of the shady exotic rainforest.

Collect a map at the start of the trail and follow it to make sure you spot all the surprises and amazing plant facts.

Download the:

You can also follow Hide 'n' Seek Children Trails in Boondall Wetlands and Downfall Creek Reserve. View or download the maps before you go.

Photo gallery

View a photo gallery of the Hide 'n' Seek Children's Trail in Council's Flickr account.

Video

Watch the Hide 'n' Seek Children's Trail - Brisbane Botanic Gardens video. If you prefer, watch the video on Council's YouTube channel. This video is 6 minutes 59 seconds in length.

Video transcript

This is a transcript of the Hide 'n' Seek Children's Trail video (6 minutes, 59 seconds).

[Music]

(Female narrator):

In the city of Brisbane, there is a great secret. No, more than that, it’s a place with many secrets. Come with me and we’ll explore this place of secrets together. The Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mt Coot-tha is our place of many secrets. Walk with me, and look and listen as each secret tells you its tale.

Find a large, sandy-coloured sculpture. Can you see wondrous things carved into its surface? It’s here that our journey begins.

Walk quietly, use your senses.